Memphis police chief previously fired by Atlanta police for covering up child sex crime

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Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis of the Memphis Police Department, which is at the center of attention as protests of the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols sweep the nation, was previously fired by the Atlanta Police Department after being accused of attempting to cover up the sex crimes of a co-worker's husband.

As the Hastings Tribune reports, Davis was terminated from her position as APD's internal affairs commander "??for her alleged involvement in a botched sex crimes investigation into the husband of an Atlanta police sergeant."

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According to the report, two detectives claimed Davis instructed them to not investigate the suspected predator, Terrill Marion "TC" Crane, after police discovered sexually explicit images of him with minor girls. Crane was later indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of producing child pornography, to which he pleaded guilty to one count in January 2009.

The case required a federal indictment due to Atlanta police taking "no action," according to the publication. An investigation conducted by the city later found that Davis was at fault for the inaction.

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Then-Chief Richard Pennington first demoted the long-time law enforcement official from major to lieutenant before deciding to fire her, though she was ultimately reinstated after challenging the decision with Atlanta's Civil Service Board.

Davis retired from the department in 2016 to become the chief of the Durham, North Carolina, police department. In June 2021, she became the Memphis Police Department's first female chief.

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